Average Rating: 6.7Tina: 6.5 - Liked idea of story, wanted to see what happened very surface level, does a mother "know"? Would she be different if Phoebe actually died? David probably did Caroline/Phoebe a favor.
Anne: 6.0 - Excited about concept by disappointed in direction it went. Premise of how a secret affects relationship, didn't like Rosemary story. David - bad father. Thought Paul was gay. Secret is what tore family apart.
Dana: 7.0 - Didn't like Norah's character, didn't like David or their marriage, was afraid of Al and thought he'd do something bad. Another Tangent. Great idea for story but marriage was a turn off.
Sara: 6.5 - Good premise, but thought it was shallow, didn't understand Norah's long term grief. Thought Caroline was made out as a hero but also made mistakes - selfish to take Phoebe. Al was weird.
Rebecca: 6.0 - Idea had potential but writer screwed it up. Went into too much background about David but could have taked more about other characters. Anti-climatic when Paul and Phoebe meet. While did Caroline contat Norah? Thanks that Norah/David coldn't have survived children anayway and it would not have been any better if they kept Phoebe.
Rachel: 7.0 - Beginning good, didn't stay as interesting. Character development weak, didn't explain their motivations. Didn't go more into twins of mother's intuition. No big moment.
1 comment:
COMMENTS FROM BECKY
(IN IRAQ)
I really enjoyed this book. What I got most out of this book is in line with something Shakespeare said: "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." I give this book an 7.
I was very disappointed in David for lying to his wife. I do believe that withholding the truth is lying, but he even went beyond that because it was easier for him. Even though I know he was trying to protect Norah from hurt and life changing negative events, I don't think it was his right to take that part of her life away. I do think that Phoebe, Caroline and Al had a better life with the way it all turned out, but I don't think it was David's decision to make. Then it made me think about how much easier in the long run it is to tell the truth in the first place. When is it ok to withhold the truth and does it matter who you are witholding it from?
I really liked Phoebe's outlook on life; it was simple and happier. "She seemed not to worry very much about things, but rather to accept the world as a fascinating and unusual place where anything might happen" (pg 395). I think many of us spend too much time worrying about what others think about us instead of being us. While up at Blue Fin during R&R I heard on the radio some statistic about how many hours a day the average woman spends on beautifying herself. It was something like 3 hours a day. Now, I am not saying taking care of yourself is bad, as long as it's for you and for the right reasons. However, 21 hours a week and 65 hours a months is a long time, time you perhaps could be doing things that make a difference or make you happier. Many might disagree with this one.
I also thought a lot about the marriage of Norah and David. I am sure they seemed very 'normal' to the outsider and perhaps it was more normal than I would like to believe, but there was an underlying lie that tore them apart. I don't think David should have lied, but I also think that Norah may not have been able to deal with it very well. I am not saying losing a child is anything but devistating, but she spent the rest of her life an agony over it. This may seem harsh, but if you hold onto the past and not move with the world around you, you may drown. That what I felt Norah was doing, drowing - and her husband couldn't help.
I liked Caroline and Phoebe; I liked their life. I wasn't a big fan of Norah and David and wondered what that meant for Paul. It's amazing how much your environment plays in who you are.....or, is it mostly due to genetics? I mean, would Phoebe still have had the great attitude she did if Norah would have raised her?
On a quick side note: I finished this book on R&R and then started Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. If you have extra time and are looking for a good book, this is one. I knew when we read My Sister's Keeper that I wanted to read more by her, and I am very glad I did.
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